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304th MI Battalion Open Source Intelligence newsletter

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    U.S. Army Intelligence Center

    304th Military Intelligence Battalion

    Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613 LTC Monnard,

    Commanding

    The 304

    th MI Bn OSINT Weekly report is an unclassified product of the 304

    th Army MI Bn OSINT

    Team. This report is derived from news articles, OPEDS, Blogs and book reviews from national and international sources available on the World Wide Web. The articles may be read in their entirety by inserting the URL listed below the item into a browser. These summaries do not represent 304

    th MIs position or point of view and are selected upon the criteria of whether the

    content addresses GEOINT, HUMINT, SIGINT, MASINT, OSINT or news on new weapons technology. The news summary is based on open source information and is not processed open source intelligence.

    GEOINT-IMINT

    Cryptome Posts Images and Audience Speculation on U.S. Military Shipment Movements CONUS A2 writes: The Port of Beaumont, TX handles about 40% of all shipments to the wars abroad. Don't know which unit, but it will be in Kuwait if that is its destination in about 1 month, 15 days (estimate). See photo: the two grey ships at left in the picture are U.S. Military Sealift Command contractor-run vessels. (Cryptome, Aug. 13)

    http://www.cryptome.org/

    HUMINT 5,000 Iraqis Detained By U.S. There are about 4,000 to 5,000 detainees in U.S. custody accused of being linked with Al Qaida, Omar Al Jouburi, a former advisor to Iraqi Vice-President Tariq Al Hashimi, told Gulf News. (Gulf News, Aug. 14) www.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10237334.html

    Secret Stories of WWII Spies Revealed At 94, Barbara Podoski finally gets to tell the story of how she punched a German Sergeant in the face during World War II, when she was a secret U.S. interrogator. (CNN, Aug. 14) www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/14/spies.revealed/?iref=mpstoryview

    FBI To Get Freer Rein to Look For Terrorism Suspects The new rules "remove unnecessary barriers" to cooperation between law enforcement agencies and "eliminate the artificial distinctions" in the way agents conduct surveillance in criminal and national security investigations(McClatchy, Aug. 13) www.mcclatchydc.com/244/story/48078.html

    MASINT/ATEP Future Ships Could Zap Enemies with Lasers While they acknowledge itll take awhile before an operational laser makes it way to the fleet, they say the weapons advantages will make it worth the wait. (Navy Times, Aug. 14) www.navytimes.com/news/2008/08/navy_laser_081308w/

  • Kuwait Opts Out Of Iran Conflict Kuwait will not participate in any regional armed conflict which might break out because of the escalating tension between Iran and the U.S. We advise the U.S. not to wage war against Iran and we hope Iran will cooperate with the IAEA MP Dr Ali Al-Omairacting Prime Minister(Arab Times, Aug. 15) www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/pagesdetails.asp?nid=20918&ccid=11

    OSINT New Al Qaeda Manual Reflects Changing Face of Terror The manual, called Method for Building the Personality of a Terrorist Mujahid and written by an Islamist forum contributor nicknamed "Shamil al-Baghdadi," encourages militant followers to stop focusing on pulling off attacks on the scale of 9-11 and to start executing numerous smaller attacks. (Fox News, Aug. 14) www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,403902,00.html Analyst Comment on above story New Al Qaeda Manual Reflects Changing Face of Terror Although the news media is stating that the manual is new the information has actually been posted online for some time and may contain a partial compilation of previously published Al Qaeda materials (at least since May, 2008 ref: http://www.jihadica.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/5-25-2008-method-of-building-a-terrorist-mujahid-personality-part-1.pdf., http://www.jihadica.com/jihadi-curriculum-part-1-ideology, and http://shamelmosel.jeeran.com/prep/archive/2008/5/576001.html ) Below are graphics and an analyst description of the Cyber Identity of Shamil al Baghdadi.

  • Russia Accused of Ethic Cleansing Meanwhile, Pentagon officials have warned Russia its relationship with the U.S. could be "adversely affected" for years if it does not step back from the conflict. (Sky News, Aug. 14) http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Russia-Georgia-War-President-Saakashvili-Accuses-Kremlin-Of-Ethnic-Cleansing/Article/200808215077798?lpos=World%2BNews_1&lid=ARTICLE_15077798_Russia-Georgia%2BWar%253A%2BPresident%2BSaakashvili%2BAccuses%2BKremlin%2BOf%2B%2527Ethnic%2BCleansing%2527

    The War in the Caucasus: Looking Underneath the Propaganda Blanket The conflict over S. Ossetia is a complex multi-layered phenomenon.. To be able to get a comprehensive picture, apart from the viewpoints of the U.S. and Georgia, Russia's motives and strategic intentions have to be examined also. (ABC News Australia, Aug. 14) www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/14/2335023.htm

    Russians Drop Cluster Bombs in Georgia

    Human Rights Watch said the bombs -- banned by 100 nations because of their record of maiming civilians, even after conflict has long finished -- were dropped over areas of Georgia, including the strategic town of Gori(CNN, Aug. 15) http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/15/georgia.rights/

    Photos of the website that posted information referenced in the media story on the New al Qaeda Manual. All below data was extracted on August 15, 2008. The screen captures were taken with GOGGLEs online translator (actual web page is in Arabic.) URL: shamelmosel.jeeran.com/prep/archive/2008/5/576001.html The poster claims the kunyas Shamil al Baghdadi and Shamel Mosel which translates to North of Baghdad and North Mosel. He claims to be 31 years of age and that he is in Iraq. Oddly, he was posted as being active/live on his social networking page on Aug. 15, 2008 (observed from 0800 EST-1700 EST). All posted documents are dated May 23, 2008. He has 0 listed friends in his Jeeran social network. His other social postings were on grenade types/use and on the PKC PKM machine gun. He described his favorite websites as the Jeeran Social networking forum- http://blog.jeeran.com, The Jeeran learning center, http://www.jeeran.com/learningcenter, Khabar news- http://khabbr.com, and the Amman (Jordan) Municipality City Blog- http://www.ammancityblog.com.

  • Iran: Brig. Gen. Mohammad-Jafar Assadi New IRGC Ground Forces Commander The new IRGC ground forces commanders background. First name: Mohammad-Jafar Last name: Assadi Alias: Also known within the IRGCs Lebanon branch commanding unit as Madani Date and place of birth: January 1958; Mamasani, Fars province National Council of Resistance of Iran, Aug. 15) http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/5507/1/

    Commander Underlines Readiness of Iran's Naval Forces (Rear Admiral Habibollah) Sayyari's remarks followed recent reports that an armada of U.S. and European naval vessels will be stationed in the Persian Gulf in an unprecedented build-up. Iran and the U.S.-led West are locked in a standoff over Tehran's progress in the field of civilian nuclear technology. (Iranian Fars News Agency, Aug. 15) http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8705240

    UAE Condemns Iranian Move to Set Up Offices on Abu Musa Island The islands, particularly Abu Musa, occupy a strategic location at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz through which about 40 per cent of the world's oil exports pass. (Gulf News, Aug. 14) www.gulfnews.com/nation/Government/10237082.html

    Govt. Should Have Prepared Long Time Ago To Face War (Kuwait)

    The government should have prepared its contingency plan to face a possible armed conflict in the region a long time ago, instead of rushing everything now that tension between the U.S. and Iran is escalating(Arab Times, Aug. 12) www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/pagesdetails.asp?nid=20815&ccid=9

    Cross-Border Strike Targets One of the Taliban's 157 Training Camps In Pakistan's Northwest

    The compound is thought to have been run by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-i-Islami, a radical faction with close links to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. A Taliban training camp and a headquarters building were hit in the strike. (The Long War Journal, Aug. 13) www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/crossborder_strike_t.php

    Taliban Leader in Bajaur Rumored Killed In Pakistani Strikes The Pakistani military speculated that Faqir Mohammed, the Taliban emir, or leader in Bajaur and the deputy leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, was killed in the fighting-unconfirmed. (The Long War Journal, Aug. 15) www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/taliban_leader_in_ba.php

    Taliban Asked To Leave Dir Lower Area (Pakistan) A group of local people of the Maidan area of Dir Lower, a stronghold of the outlawed Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM), has asked Taliban militants to leave According to sources, Taliban militants had rejected the demand. (The Pakistan Dawn, Aug. 14) www.dawn.com/2008/08/15/top15.htm

    Taliban Collecting Taxes to Raise Funds for Jihad The Taliban are financing their jihad against the United States and supporting the families of the militants killed in the war with private taxation, besides Zakat and Ushr. (Pakistan Daily Times, Aug. 15) www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\08\15\story_15-8-2008_pg7_11

    Hizb Ut-Tahrir and U.S. Allies in Central Asia If the two nations are increasingly seeing eye-to-eye on the need for peace in Afghanistan, there yet remains an issue that has baffled Tashkent for years--Washingtons reluctance to add Hizb ut-Tahrir (Arabic for Party of Liberation--HuT) to its list of terrorist organizations. (Jamestown Foundation, Eurasian Daily Monitor, Aug. 12) http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2373308

    Female Suicide Bomber Kills At Least 26 Pilgrims in Iraq The most recent attack against Shiite pilgrims was in July, when three female suicide bombers struck pilgrims in nearly simultaneous bombings in Baghdad, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 100. (UK Telegraph, Aug. 14) www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/2559987/Female-suicide-bomber-kills-at-least-26-pilgrims-in-Iraq.html

    Mounting PKK Death Toll Increases Pressure on the Turkish Government

    Since resuming its campaign of violence in June 2004 after a five year lull, the PKK has pursued a two-front strategy(Jamestown Foundation, Eurasian Daily Monitor, Aug. 12) http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2373309

    Technological Innovation and the Turkish Armed Forces' War on the PKK The PKK terror campaign differed from the earlier phases in many respects, most significantly in terms of tactics. The PKK, a constantly adapting organization, has acquired new tactics and methods from the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan(Jamestown Foundation, Aug. 12) www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374372

  • North Lebanon Bus Bomb A bomb ripped through a bus during Wednesday morning rush hour in a northern Lebanese city, killing 18 Soldiers and civilians, security officials said, raising fears that an al-Qaeda-inspired militant group is stepping up revenge attacks against the military. (Arab Times, Aug. 13) www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/pagesdetails.asp?nid=20916&ccid=11

    Yemeni Police Uncover Second Al-Qaeda-Linked Cell Yemeni police have uncovered a second al-Qaeda-linked terrorist cell in the south-east of the country(Earth Times, Aug. 15) www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/225915,yemeni-police-uncover-second-al-qaeda-linked-cell.html

    Youths Get Training in HAMAS Camp

    About 200 teens dressed in the uniforms of the HAMAS military wing showed off their new skills Sunday (Aug. 10) in a sandy, ramshackle stadium in the eastern Shejaiyeh area of Gaza City. (Kuwait Times, Aug. 10) www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MjQ2NDg5MTY3

    Philippine Military, Muslim Rebels Clash; Peace Plan Suffers

    Fierce fighting between Muslim rebels and the Filipino military over the last three days has dealt a setback to a peace plan aimed at ending the world's longest-running insurgency and raised fears of violence spreading elsewhere in the southern Philippines. (McClatchy, Aug. 12) www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/47811.html

    Jihadis React to Indictment of Sudans Omar al-Bashir Reacting to the International Criminal Courts (ICC) indictment of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, several jihadi internet forums discussed Sudans situation in response to a posting entitled Goodbye Omar al-Bashir and Wake Up Sleeping Cells (Jamestown Foundation, Aug. 12) www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374371

    A Model for Modern Insurgency

    Stabilizing the Afghan-Pakistani front of the war on terrorism will require U.S. policymakers to re-examine the fatal misconception that they face only two options: either heading full force into FATA, heedless of the desires of Islamabad and the Pakistani people, or hoping Pakistans beleaguered army miraculously revitalizes itself. (Armed Forces Journal, Aug. 2008) www.afji.com/2008/08/3601318

    Analysis: Al-Qaida 'Defensive' On Ideology During 2008, senior al-Qaida leaders "have devoted nearly half their airtime to defending the group's legitimacy," said senior U.S. intelligence official Ted Gistaro. "This defensive tone continues(UPI, Aug. 13) www.metimes.com/Security/2008/08/13/analysis_al-qaida_defensive_on_ideology/66ae/

    Colombias FARC Escalate Operations to Demonstrate Their Will to Continue the Armed Struggle However, despite the reality of the ongoing crisis, it would be premature to infer that the organization has lost its will or capacity to fight. On July 31, Ivan Marquez, one of the leaders of the group, released an interview declaring that the guerrillas would continue their armed struggle against the government (VOA, July 31). Moreover, the group seems to be undergoing a series of strategic readjustments(Jamestown Foundation, Aug. 12) www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374373

    Oil & Natural Gas Corp Draws Up Plan to Boost Offshore Security (India) The thrust of the plan is to thwart any oil-field related subversive activities in the backdrop of a spate of such activities recently in the country(Sindh Today, Aug. 13) www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/11568.htm

    Featured Disinformation Story: CIA Controls Scorpions (South Africa) The controversy erupted this week (Aug. 10-15) when delegates (ANC) were widely quoted in the national media as calling for the dismantling of the Scorpions on the grounds that the elite investigative unit was being controlled by the CIA, and that the American spy agency had also invented Aids to decimate Africa. (IAfrica, Aug. 15) http://news.iafrica.com/lighterside/1083800.htm

    SIGINT

    British Local Authorities to Monitor Internet Communications A spokesperson for the Home Office said that content would not be stored, only telecommunications data, and that this was "a vital tool to investigations and intelligence gathering in support of national security and crime. (Heise, Aug. 15) www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/114306

  • Iran: Cell Phone Inspections in the Streets The State Security Forces mullahs' suppressive police announced on Wednesday that its agents will inspect cell phones in the streets of the northeastern province of Azerbaijan, reported the state-run news agency Shahab News. (National Council of Resistance of Iran, Aug. 14) http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/5504/1/

    Russia's Cyberattack on Georgia Likewise, pilots sitting in Nevada fly Predator spy drones remotely over terrorists in Afghanistan while using internet chat or radio calls to communicate with Soldiers on the ground who will engage the terrorists. (Human Events-Described as Leading the Conservative Movement , Aug. 15) www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28044#continueA

    An Army Of Ones And Zeroes: How I Became A Soldier In The Georgia-Russia Cyberwar.

    Don't get me wrong: My geopolitical sympathies, if anything, lie with Moscow's counterparts. Nor do I see myself as an Internet-savvy Rambo character. I had a much simpler research objective: to test how much damage someone like me, who is quite aloof from the Kremlin physically and politically, could inflict upon Georgia's Web infrastructure, acting entirely on my own and using only a laptop and an Internet connection. (Slate, Aug. 14) www.slate.com/id/2197514/

    Weapons, Emerging Weapons Technology & Emerging Commercial Of The Shelf Technologies Gadgets Compete In Defense Challenge (UK) Moon buggies and flying saucers were among the gadgets vying to become the British Armed Forces' next hi-tech surveillance tool. (UK Channel 4, Aug. 14) www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/gadgets+compete+for+forces+favour/2401967

    Brando's USB Webcam Mirror A mirror with LED lights and a concealed camera behind the mirror face... it's not really for that purpose, is it? Aha: it "can also be used as a spy web(GIZMODO, Aug. 14) www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/08/brandos_usb_webcam_mirror_is_voyeurs_product_in_thin_disguise-2.html

    If you would like to be added or deleted from the weekly 304

    th MI Bn OSINT distribution list please e-mail

    [email protected].